Assessments 

At the beginning of each school year, we assess students in reading fluency & skills, reading comprehension, math fluency and skills to determine a baseline of knowledge, to find out where each student is starting the year. In the Fall, Winter, and Spring, we look specifically at writing skills, assessing students on their ability to write either a narrative, informative/expository, or persuasive writing piece and revisit student learning from the assessments given at the start of the school year to determine how much progress each student has made. Once the assessments are scored, our leadership team and grade level teams meet to discuss student progress and areas where students are lacking. A plan is derived to target those needs to make sure no student is left behind.

Then, in late Spring, we administer the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, commonly referred to as CAASPP.  The CAASPP, administered online to students in grades 3-8, includes Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments which evaluate proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and math.  The California Alternate Assessment is utilized for students who have an individualized education program that indicates the use of an alternate assessment. Students in grades 5 and 8 are administered the California Science Test to assess knowledge in science. Students in grades 5 and 7 are also tested to assess their physical fitness. These assessments are given over a 2-week period, testing for only a short time each day.